Today was my first full day in Haiti. Hope spent a lot of time preparing me for this trip with stories and photos of her experiences but I’m not sure any of it really sunk in. Our job today was to connect with part of the Hands up for Haiti team (2 doctors, 2 nurses and 2 translators and a pharmacist) and run a clinic in Shada which is a very poor area in Haiti. As we begun driving towards the town I smelt garbage burning, I saw people carrying huge heavy things on their head (I didn’t know people still did that!),I saw groups of people bathing in basins outside their home and hand washing their clothing, there were people everywhere! When we pulled into Shada I saw garbage covering a stream of water and even some naked children eliminating their feces in the garbage. I looked around to try and find some sort of building that ACTUALLY seemed like liveable accommodations. I could not find a bed inside a single home, no houses with windows to protect them from the deadly mosquitos, no running water or even clean water. In Haiti there are no stop signs, or lane limits, the traffic is terrifying! 

On the drive to Shada I looked out my window and saw a dead dog which a man was literally pulling off the side of the road with a long piece of metal ( for those of you who know me you understand how truly traumatizing this was ). I instantly started crying and had Hope pep talk me to keep it together for our first clinic. My heart was broken. I held my ground and walked into the Shada clinic where we immediately got to work triaging and having the doctors see the patients who wait up to 4 hours in the heat to see a doctor. The people waiting were patient and kind. I did not hear one complaint about the wait time, or how they have a meeting to be at, or a reason why someone should be seen before someone else. The patients were respectful, appreciative and kind. 

One boy, aged 17, no money to go to school, sat patiently waiting with his notebook which had some English words written on it. When finally seeing the physician we were shocked to realize his age, as he looked no more than 11 and was severely malnourished. He told us he has no parents and no one to look after him. He has no way of getting food or water and no money to pay for school. There are no resources or housing for him, nowhere we can refer this poor boy. I mention his notebook because despite him having nothing, he was driven and studying English independently. He was independently driven to learn and do well. 

The clinic experience turned out amazing, we saw many more people with the same stories of no family, no money for food, and a few which we referred to the hospital for a higher level of care. We managed to help about 50 patients. I think we can all learn a lesson from the Haitian patients (I like to call them Hatients... haha Amanda joke). We are so lucky to have health care! To have food, water, doctors, homes. We do not need to complain and whine about waiting to see our doctors, and being rude or disrespectful even when we see them! We are so lucky to have what we have.